Rubber cord or tube has been provided with grip members comprising rigid material by lacing, knotting, or expanding the end of the elastic member to retain a hand grip. In contrast to dead weight exercise equipment in which resistance to movement is gravitational with release of applied force resulting in weight dropping by gravity in intuitively understood manner, a resilient elastic member to which tensioning force is applied induces a reaction force acting in a direction opposite to that of applied force with the result that should a person fail to maintain proper control of the tension member either because it should slip from his grasp, or mechanically fail, or be improperly manipulated, rapid contraction of the stretched member will result with rebounding of the gri member which, if made from hard plastic or metal or other non-resilient material, can inflict serious injury if it should strike a person in the head, neck or other vital area of the body.